Device for utilizing tide-power



2 SheetsS heet 1.

(No Model.)

J. RINGEN.

DEVICE FOR UTILIZING TIDE POWER.

No. 408,525. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

(No Model.) 7 2-Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. RINGEN. DEVIGE FOR UTILIZING TIDE POWER.

No. 408,525. V Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOHN RINGE'N, OF CORONADO, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR UTILIZING TIDE-POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,525, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed November 28, 1888.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN RINGEN, of Comnado, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for Utilizing Tide-Power, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure I is a side elevation illustrative of my improvement. Fig. II is an enlarged side view of a form of gearing for transmitting the power, the main power-shaft being shown in section, taken on line II II, Fig. III. Fig. III is a top view of the transmitting mechanism. Fig. IV represents a slight modification.

My invention relates to an improved device for utilizing the power in the ebb and flow of the tide; and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a lever mounted pivotally on a frame 2, so as to turn 011 its hearing at 3. 4 represents a float connected to the short end of the beam by a cable 5, and which may be held in vertical Ways or guides 6. It is so placed as to rest on the surface of the water and to rise and fall with the ebb and flow of the tide.

7 represents a power-shaft journaled in a suitable frame 8, and which is provided with a drum 9, around which a cable 10 passes a number of times, so as not to slip, the cable being also secured to the drum to prevent slipping, if necessary. The part of the cable passing over the drum extends under a pulley 11, secured to a derrick or frame 12, and from this pulley it passes in an upward direction and over a pulley 13, secured to the long end of the lever, and from thence the cable passes downward and is secured to an arm 14, in which the pulley 11 is journaled,

Serial No. 292,099. (No model.)

direction under a pulley 18, securedto the beam, and thence in an upward direction and is secured to the arm 17 or to another fixed object. This system of cables and pulleys, it will be seen, forms a block and tackle, which connects the long end of the lever to a power-transmitting device, which will now be described.

On the shaft 7 are cogwheels 19 and 20. The wheel 19 meshes into a pinion 21 on a counter-shaft 22, and the wheel 20 meshes into a pinion 23, which in turn engages a pinion 24: on the shaft 22, the wheel 21 having pawl-and-ratchet connection 25 with the shaft, and the wheel 24L having pawl-andratchet connection 26 with the shaft. The pawls are secured to the respective pinions and the ratchets are rigidly secured to the shaft.

011 the shaft 22 may be a pulley 27 to receive a power-belt or a crank 28, with awristpin 29, to which one end of a pitman may be connected, the pitman or belt transmitting the power from the shaft to the operating inachinery, whatever it may be.

Theshafts 7 and 22 are mounted 011 a suit able frame 30, (see Fig. 1H,) and the pinion 23 would be secured to a short shaft 31, also mounted on the frame 30.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: On the flow of the tide the float 4 is elevated or raised and the long end of the lever 1 falls. In doing so the shaft 7 is turned to the right through means of the connectingcable. As the shaft is thus turned the gearwheels 19 21 and pawl and ratchet 25 transmit the power to the shaft 22, and then, as the tide ebbs, the float falls and its weight elevates the long end of the lever 1, and through means of the connecting-cable and pulleys turns the shaft 7 to the left. As it does so the power is transmitted from the shaft 7 to the shaft 22 through means of the cog-Wheel 20, pinions 23 and 24:, and pawl and ratchet 26, and thus the shaft is turned in the same direction as when the outer end of the lever descended. In this way the constant ebb and flow of the tide is utilized in transmitting power to the shaft 22, and the shaft is always revolved or turned in the same direction.

In Fig. IV I have shown a slight modification, where the lever is not located at the float, but the power is transmitted from the float to the lever, located at a distance, through means of an extended cable 5.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a device for utilizing power in the ebb and flow of the tide, the pivoted lever, the float connected to the short end of the le- "ver, and mechanism for transmitting the power connected to the long end of the lever, consisting, essentially, of a cable mounted on a drum and connected to the lever, and pulleys over and under which the cable passes, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device for utilizing tide-power, the 15 combination of a pivoted lever, a weighted float connected to one end of said lever, a power-transmitting device, and block and tackle connecting said power-tramsmitting device to the other end of the leveusubstantially 20 GEo. H. KNIGHT, EDW. S. KNIGHT. 

